The Brier Report: Day 4

It started when I looked out my hotel window to see that Saskatoon was in the grip of howling snowstorm. I decide to leave earlier than usual for the Credit Union Centre and I was glad that I did. There were white-out conditions in the city and they got worse as we drove out to the arena. We did make, but I’m sure that many curling fans elected to remain in the city instead of brave the conditions.

There was still a great atmosphere. There were 6,689 fans on hand for Tuesday’s afternoon draw and 7,022 for the evening draw and they came ready to make some noise. The players provided them with many opportunities.

The Saskatchewan games seemed to generate the most noise. They are ready to cheer every good shot that Scott Manners’ makes. I wonder what this place would be like if there was a veteran team here was still in the hunt. I think it would be the same as in Red Deer, when the crowds urged Heather Nedohin on to a Canadian women’s title.

Manners appears to have the technical skills to play with the big guns at the Brier. There are times his strategy baffles me and others. It doesn’t take long for skips like Howard and Koe to jump on those miscues.

Tuesday’s game between Howard and Manners was a lot of fun to watch. Both skips are gentlemen and epitomize how the game should be played. Some of our younger curlers could learn a great deal from watching how they conduct themselves.

Glenn Howard is rolling and has worked overtime to get there. His extra-end win over Manners was the fourth straight and his fifth of the Scotties. Veteran teams win those kinds of games and Howard has that going for him.

I watched the Rockumentary on Howard on TSN. It was a good look behind the scenes of what any curling team goes through during a season. Basically, they travel (a lot), curl (a lot) and drink and party (not as much as you might think). The biggest impression I came away with was how close Howard and his teammates are. They are really best friends and enjoy spending a lot of time together. Curling well at the highest level is an extension of that friendship.

Pat Simmons battled through the flu on Tuesday and I don’t that that was reason for Kevin Koe suffering his first loss at the Brier. Koe has mentioned he hasn’t been sharp at times and he just wasn’t sharp against Brad Jacobs of Northern Ontario. Jacobs won 7-6 and has battled back to 3-4. I don’t think we can write them off yet.

It still looks like a Koe-Howard final. At the very least they should finish 1-2 in the round-robin standings. We’ve been getting a pretty good diet of Howard on TV and that’s because he has been playing the big games. Howard and Koe are to meet on Thursday in the final draw of the round-robin. I would expect that game will be featured on TSN. When you consider the playoffs, we’re going to see a lot of those two teams before the weekend is done.

Today’s featured match takes place kind of early. TSN will have the battle between Kevin and Jamie Koe at 8:30 a.m. It’s neat that two brothers are playing against each other at the Brier. I don’t think anyone expected that today’s match between the Territories and Alberta would really have any meaning this late in the week. Another sign of how strange the 2012 Brier has become.

That’s about it. Winter has arrived with a vengeance and it really feels like curling weather now.

Anyway, remember to follow me on Twitter @murraylp. I surpassed 1,500 followers today, which is sort of exciting.

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